Debate on a Motion for an Address to the King. [1774-03-07] House of Commons, Parliament of Great Britain; Rice, George; Nugent, Robert, Lord Clare; Dowdeswell, William; Pownall, Thomas, Governour; Burke, Edmund; Wedderburn, Alexander, Lord Loughborough, Solicitor General; Germain, George, Lord, Viscount Sackville; Conway, Henry Seymour, General; Barré, Isaac, Colonel. [S4-V1-p0032] [Document Details][Complete Volume]

Note from page v1:32: 1.* The presentment of the Papers was accompanied with a comment upon them, and particularly those that related to the transactions at Boston, in which the conduct of the Governor was described and applauded; and that of the prevailing fiction represented in the most atrocious light. It was said that he had taken every measure which prudence could suggest, or good policy justify, for the security of the East India Company' s property, the safety of the consignees, and the preserving of order and quiet in the town. Every civil precaution to prevent the mischief that followed had been used in vain. His Majesty' s Council, the Militia, and the corps of Cadets, had been all separately applied to, for their assistance in the preservation of the public peace, and the support of the laws, but all without effect: they refused or declined doing their duty. The Sheriff read a Proclamation to the faction, at their town meeting, by which they were commanded to break up their Assembly; but the Proclamation was treated with the greatest contempt, and the Sheriff insulted in the grossest manner.

That he had it undoubtedly in his power, by calling in the assistance of the naval force which was in the harbor, to have prevented the destruction of the Tea; but that as the loading men in Boston had always made great complaints of the interposition, of the army and navy, and charged all disturbances of every sort to their account, he with great prudence and temperance, determined from the beginning to decline a measure which would have been so irritating to the minds of the People; and might well have hoped, that by this confidence in their conduct, and trust reposed in the civil power, he should have calmed their turbulence, and preserved the public tranquillity.

Thus, said the Ministers, the People of Boston were fairly tried. — They were left to their own conduct, and to the exercise of their judgments, and the result has given the lie to all their former professions. They are now without an excuse, and all the powers of Government in that Province, are found insufficient to prevent the most violent outrages. The loyal and peaceable People of a mercantile town, (as they affect to be peculiarly considered,) have given a notable proof to the world of their justice, moderation, loyally, and affection, for the Mother Country, by wantonly committing to the waves a valuable commodity, the property of another loyal mercantile body of subjects, without the pretence of necessity, even supposing that their opposition to the payment of the duties could justify such a plea; as they had nothing to do but to adhere to their own Resolutions, of non-consumption, effectually to evade the revenue laws.

It was concluded upon the whole, that by an impartial review of the Papers now before them, it would manifestly appear, that nothing could be done, by either civil, military, or naval officers, to effectuate the re-establishment of tranquillity and order in that Province, without additional Parliamentary powers to give efficacy to their proceedings. That no person employed by Government, could in any act, however common or legal, fulfil the duties of his office or station, without its being immediately exclaimed against by the licentious, as an infringement of their liberties. That it was the settled opinion of some of the wisest men, both in England and America, and the best acquainted with the affairs of the Colonies, that in their present state of Government, no measures whatsoever could be pursued that would, in any degree, remedy those glaring evils, which were every day growing to a more enormous and dangerous height. That Parliament, and Parliament only, were capable of re-establishing tranquillity among those turbulent People, and of bringing order out of confusion. And that it was therefore incumbent on every member to weigh and consider with an intention suitable to the great importance of the subject, the purport of the Papers before them, and totally laying all prejudices aside, to form his opinion upon the measures most eligible to be pursued, for supporting the supreme legislative authority, the dignity of Parliament, and the great interests of the British Empire.

This is the substance of what was urged by the Ministry upon the subject when they presented the Papers; but, as things were to be brought to a crisis with the Colonies, and very strong measures were resolved upon, it was apprehended that the merchants would he affected, and make some opposition. To prevent this, all the public papers were systematically filled with writings on this subject, painting the misconduct of the Colonies in the strongest colours, and in particular, urging the impossibility of the future existence of any trade to America, if this flagrant outrage on commerce should go unpunished.

These, with many other endeavours to the same end, were not without an effect. The spirit raised against the Americans became as high and as strong as could be desired, both within and without the House. In this temper a motion was made for an Address to the Throne. — Ann. Regis.